Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 35: Just the Right Time

The following noon, McCardel underwent another MRI scan.

The scan revealed that the fluid buildup from the sprain had almost completely disappeared, and the inflammation had also greatly improved.

He could now begin his rehabilitation and conditioning training step by step, and then return to the court.

"Chen, thank you."

McCardel stood up and hugged Chen Yu.

It had only been two days, yet he could already get out of bed and walk normally. It was all thanks to Chen Yu.

Chen Yu patted him on the back and handed him a document from his bag. "This is the rehabilitation plan I prepared for you. It covers your diet and recovery exercises."

"Oh, right. And the medicinal patches. Remember to change them every two days."

’Actually, the recovery would be more effective if I could monitor it daily and adjust the plan on the fly, just like I do with Hill. But that’s not an option. I have to leave.’

"Chen, are you sure you have to leave now? I was hoping to treat you to dinner tonight to thank you for coming out for the consultation." Wash also hugged Chen Yu, reluctant to see him go.

Chen Yu nodded and glanced at McCardel. "I have no choice. I have to hurry back to Orlando because I have my own battle waiting for me."

Standing nearby, McCardel paused for a moment, then grinned. "Chen, good luck."

He clenched his right fist and thumped his own chest.

Chen Yu waved, shouldered his bag, and turned to leave.

It was a shame that Boston didn’t show up today.

’But I have his contact information. If anything comes of it, he’ll probably get in touch.’

Chen Yu got in his car and hit the road. He had already spoken with Hill on the phone that morning.

The first thing Hill did was apologize to Chen Yu and explain what had happened.

"They did it on purpose," Chen Yu stated bluntly.

They were shamelessly profiting from a tragedy, exploiting both the shooting at Saint Mark’s Primary School and Hill’s compassion.

The goal, most likely, was to use that 3-on-3 game to tell everyone, ’See? Hill has recovered. He has no problems at all.’

’No wonder the Sentinel published that report earlier. They were probably already laying the groundwork back then.’

The Sentinel is a local media outlet. The fact that they once helped the Magic’s front office conduct a poll asking if O’Neal was worth a hundred-million-dollar contract was enough to show just how close their relationship was.

Fortunately, Hill’s attitude was solid.

He said he wouldn’t be swayed by the media and would only make his comeback after he was fully recovered.

’But would it really be that easy?’

’The media, the fans... When tens of thousands of fans are chanting that they need you, can Hill really remain unmoved?’

The power of public opinion could be overwhelming and shouldn’t be underestimated.

To this day, there are still plenty of Pistons fans who call Hill a traitor for leaving.

’Don’t they know it was the Pistons’ front office that screwed Hill over?’

Chen Yu could already feel the oppressive weight of an approaching storm, which was why he had called this a battle.

He spent the whole drive mulling over a counter-strategy, and by the time he reached Orlando, Chen Yu had formulated a preliminary plan.

’First, I have to let everyone know the truth. They need to know that Hill hasn’t recovered, that he’s in no condition to return, and that this whole push is nothing but an arrogant decision by the Magic’s front office.’

’Then, I need to keep Hill steady.’

’His attitude is the most critical part; he can’t let himself be swayed by any of this.’

’He’s the one who’s injured. As long as he’s adamant about not returning, there’s nothing anyone can do to him.’

’Finally, a bold idea even came to mind.’

’I could use this whole affair to take down the Magic’s front office.’

’Think about Gabriel. From O’Neal to Hardaway, how many dirty deeds has he done?’

’If I were the team owner, letting O’Neal walk would have been more than enough reason to tell him to pack his bags and get the hell out.’

’As the saying goes, a fish rots from the head down. As long as he’s there, the Magic’s front office will be rotten to the core.’

’Things like this are bound to happen to Hill again in the future.’

Chen Yu thought it over. ’There’s actually a real chance this could work.’

’A team is built around its players, after all.’

’If the players are unhappy with the front office, the owner will know what to do, no matter how much he trusts them.’

’Take guys like Monty and Brown, who have injury risks the team just ignores. You think they don’t have a grudge against the front office?’

’And there were probably quite a few players like that on the Magic team.’

’If they’re willing to step up and make their voices heard, Devos won’t just ignore it.’

’Right, there’s also the Players’ Union.’

Another idea occurred to Chen Yu.

’The whole point of the Players’ Union is to protect the players’ interests.’

’Management forcing a player to return early for the sake of the team’s record—that has to count as a violation of a player’s rights, right?’

"Who’s the current president of the Players’ Union?"

Chen Yu thought for a moment, then remembered. It was "The Gorilla," Patrick Ewing.

During the ’98 NBA lockout, the whole affair had been a huge deal and all over the news. Chen Yu remembered Ewing, as the president of the Players’ Union, appearing on the news frequently while negotiating with the owners.

Just then, Chen Yu received a call from Hill.

"Chen, maybe you shouldn’t come back here just yet. Go to a hotel first. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the cost," Hill said, his voice troubled.

Chen Yu’s heart sank. He asked what was wrong.

Hill hesitated, then said, "It’s nothing... I just don’t think now is a good time for you to come back. It’s swarming with media and fans outside. This morning, the team’s front office held a press conference. Joe said a lot of things to the reporters, and now the media knows all about you. I’m afraid if you come back and run into them, it will cause problems for you."

"What did he say?" Chen Yu’s anger flared.

’That quack!’

Hill said quickly, "It doesn’t matter what he said; I know it’s all nonsense. Chen, don’t pay any attention to him. I’ll find a way to explain everything to the media later."

He paused, then added apologetically, "You got dragged into this because of me. I’m so sorry you have to suffer through all of this; you don’t deserve it. But showing up at my house right now really isn’t a good idea."

Chen Yu nodded to himself. ’At least Hill isn’t an ungrateful bastard. He knows who to thank.’

"Okay."

Chen Yu hung up, but he didn’t change course. A short while later, he arrived at Hill’s house.

What a scene!

Chen Yu parked on the side of the road, sighing at the sight.

The road outside Hill’s house was lined with news vans.

It was a sea of reporters, armed with cameras of all shapes and sizes.

A quick scan revealed them all—NBC, ESPN, CBS, Fox. Every major media outlet was there.

You had to admit, the influence of "the next Jordan" was something else.

Then there were the fans.

Chen Yu rested his chin on the steering wheel, observing the fans in the distance.

He estimated there were over two hundred of them.

They were holding all sorts of homemade signs with different messages written on them.

Some simply offered support for Hill, while others called for him to return to the court with signs that read, "The team needs you!" and the like.

Chen Yu pursed his lips. ’These fans probably didn’t show up on their own,’ he thought.

Orlando was a tourist city with a slow pace of life. Its residents were pretty laid-back, but it was hard to believe they’d be this fanatical.

If this were New York or Los Angeles, Chen Yu might have believed their passion was genuine.

Chen Yu did recall Hill mentioning that the Magic had organized a fan club and often arranged fan activities.

Now, someone was even giving a speech. He was too far away to make out the words, but he guessed they were sharing stories about Hill.

Chen Yu didn’t know what Billings had said, but he guessed it was the same old routine—calling him a fraud, a rookie, and whatnot.

After a moment of thought, Chen Yu opened the car door and got out.

Hill had said this wasn’t a good time for him to make an appearance.

But Chen Yu felt that this moment was absolutely perfect.